buttrick



G. BUTTRICK.

TROLLEY WIRE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1912.

l ,1 93,508. Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

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GEORGE BU'ITRICK, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASSCOMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OI-IIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TROLLEY-WIRE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed April 6, 1912. Serial No. 689,024.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen BUTTRICK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Allentown, in the county ofLehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trolley-'Wire Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to trolley wire apparatus and has more particularreference to improvements in apparatus of the class gen erally known asstrain plates, crossings, frogs and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of thischaracter which will be simple, durable and reliable in construction andeffective and eilicient in oporation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved strain plate orlike device having means by which the device may be readily attached tothe trolley wire withoutthe aid of bolts, screws and similar fasteningdevices and as easily detached therefrom without damage or destructioneither to the device or trolley wire, and which can be cheaply made as acasting, requiring no expensive machine work to prepare and tinish itfor use.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects hereinafter appearing, my invention consists in thefeatures of novelty disclosed in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts herein described and claimed and shown in theaccompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention,and in which a Figure 1 is a top plan view of a strain plateembodying-my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof online 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line33, of Fig. 1. Fig. -il is a transverse sectional view on line 4% ofFig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detachable tip andclamping member.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a deviceknown as a strain plate which is generally installed in some positionalong the trolley wire where the trolley wire has a tendency to creep orbe pulled longitudinally, for the purpose of anchoring the trolley wireagainst such strains, but it will be obvious to one skilled in the artafter having obtained an understanding of my invention from thedisclosures herein made, that my invention may be embodied in whole orin part in various other apparatus used in trolley wire construction,such for instance, as frogs, crossings and the like, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

The structure shown in the drawings has a main or body portion A in theform of a flat metallic plate, having openings 1 for the sake ofreducing the weight of the device without sacrificing the strengththereof. At each corner of the plate is a hole or aperture 2, providingsuitable places to which guy wires may be conveniently attached. Thisplate has an integral depending rib or ridge 3 disposed longitudinallyof the plate and shaped to accommodate the trolley wheel carried by thecar. The rib has a deep longitudinal groove or channel 4 which is openat the top and which is adapted to receive the trolley wireo, as shown.The lower portion of the rib is rounded off, preferably on the samecurvature as the trolley wire so as to provide proper under-runningsurface for the trolley wheel carried by the car. The bottom wall 6 ofthe channel is relatively thin so that practically no bump or raisedportion will occur in the continuity 85 of the trolley wire. The walls 4of the channel are practically parallel, diverging slightly upwardly toallow freedom in entering or removing the trolley wire. The trolley,however,,fits snugly in the bottom of the channel so as to have norelative lateral movement. At each end of the plate the walls 4: of thetrolley channel are cX- tended upwardly by means of two upstanding lugs7 integrally formed on the plate adjacent ,the edges of channel asclearly seen in Fig. 2. Between each set of lugs I provide a clampingmember adapted to clamp the trolley wire in the bottom of its channel.These clamping members are preferably in the form of rotary wedges orcams S shaped. as shown in the drawings. They are cccentrically pivotedon ordinary bolts 10 which pass through holes in the cams and lugs andhave nuts 10 on one end. The cam members are thus mounted so that theymay be readily removed or replaced in order that the strain plate may beeasily installed in position on the trolley wire or removed therefrom.The cam members have integral extensions or wear members 9, which arepreferably formed integrally with the cam wedges and may be of anysuitable length. They are preferably made relatively thin for the sakeof lightness in weight consistent with strength and are adapted to takeup the wear on the device due to blows from the moving trolley wheel.These extensions have grooves or channels 12, Fig. 5, in their undersides to receive the trolley wire and their lower or free edges 13 arebendable so that they may be forced or bent and thereby securelyattached to the trolley wire.

If desired, they may be additionally fastened by soldering. Their edges13 are preferably of substantially the same thickness as the bottom wall6 of the trolley wire channel so that when bent around the wire theyprovide an under-running surface of the central rib of the body plate.It will be noted also that the cam members 8 have flattened portions1st, which insures the trolley wire being clamped in the bottom of thechannel especially at the extreme ends thereof, hence there is no chanceof the wire and the device becoming relatively displaced at thesepoints.

The bottom wall of the wire channel in the central portion thereof hasraised or elevated portions 15 and a depression 16 therebetween. Abovethese portions 1 provide a clamping member, which in conjunction withportions 15 and 16 kinks the trolley wire 5, thus providing a powerfulclamp bolt on the wire against longitudinal movement. This clampinmember 18 preferably comprises a plate 17 having an integral lug orprojection which enters the channel 4 and presses the wire into thebottom thereof. The lower edge 19 of the projection 18 is preferablycurved to conform generally to the kink in the trolley wire as shown inFig. 3. The clamping plate 17 lies transversely of the body plate A andflatly upon the upper side of said body plate. The clamping pressure maybe obtained by any suitable means such as the bolts 20 which passthrough both plates and have nuts 21 at their lower ends. In theprojecting ends of the clamping plate 17 are provided holes or apertures21 similar to those in the corners of the body plate. The holes formadditional means for attachment to guy wires. It will be noted that theclamping member is also readily separable from the body plate in orderthat the trolley wire may be entered in or removed from its channel.

I provide in the center of the clamping plate a threaded socket 22, towhich a hanger of any type of suitable form may be attached. Thus in theevent that it is necessary to guy the trolley wire at one of the.

usual cross wires at the poles my improved strain plate may be attachedto the hanger in place of the ordinary trolley car.

It will be observed that my improved device accomplishes all of thepurposes and objects which I have disclosed herein. The parts are soconstructed and arranged that they may be made as castings, requiring noexpensive machine work to finish them, in order to prepare them forassembling and installation. Practically the only machine work requiredis the drilling of the several holes for the pivot and clamp bolts, whenthese are used. In consequence the structure may be cheaplymanufactured. It is strong, durable and compact, and it possesses theadvantage of having practically no small parts which are likely to bedropped and lost by the man installing the device. The central clampingmember and the rotary or auxiliary clamps may be removed leaving theentire upper side of the channel open so that the body plate may beplaced in position from below the trolley Wire. The trolley wire neednot be cut or severed, but instead simply laid in the bottom of thechannel in the body plate. After positioning the plate in this mannerthe rotary clamps may be attached to the body member in the angularposition indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and then rotated downwardlyuntil the wire is clamped firmly in the channel and the; wear members,or extensions, are in alinement with the trolley wire. These wearmembers may then be formed around the trolley wire as described andsoldered, if desired, thus constituting not only cheaply renewablepieces for taking the wear but they lock the rotary clamps in positionby direct attachment to the wire. The central clamping member may be putin position and clamped down upon the trolley wire. This, moreespecially, serves toprevent the longitudinal movement of the devicewith respect to the trolley wire and, by attaching the guy wires in theholes provided therefor in the corners of the body plate, the trolleywire will be firmly anchored against creeping, or other strains to whichit is likely to be subjected. The device also possesses the advantage ofnot interfering in the least withthe movement of the trolley wheel,

since the wear extensions and the under-running rib of the body memberare practically flush with the surface of the trolley wire.

To one skilled in the art it will be obvious that the structure may bemodified in many ways to adapt it to particular manufacturing andoperating conditions without departing from the spirit of the invention,and

tachable wear extension adapted to be positioned on the trolley wire onthe end of the said body member, and a rotary wedge formed on said wearmember and pivotally mounted on said body member for clamping the wirein its channel.

2. In a device of the class described, a body member having a wirereceiving channel, in combination with a rotary member pivoted on saidbody member for clamping the wire in its channel and having an extensionprojecting beyond the end of said body member and adapted to be securedto the wire after the rotary member has been rotated to its clampingposition.

3. In a device of the class described, a body member having an open-top,wire-re ceiving channel, in combination with a retary clamp detachablymounted 011 said body member and adapted to clamp the trolley wire inits channel when rotated to a given position, and an extension on saidrotary clamp arranged to be secured to the trolley wire and hold saidclamp in its clamping position.

at. In a device of the class described, a body member having anopen-top, wire-re- CBlViIig' channel, in combination with a retary clampdetachably mounted on said body member and adapted to clamp the trolleywire on its channel after being rotated to a given position, and a wearextension memher arranged to embrace and to be secured to the trolleywire adjacent the end of said body member for locking said clampingmember in its clamping position and for taking up the wear on saiddevice.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body memberhaving a wire-receiving channel, a clamping member eccentrically pivotedon said body member and adapted to be rotated to clamp the wire firmlyin said channel, and means carried by said clamping member for directattachment to the trolley wire to lock said clamping member in itsclamping position.

0. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body memberhaving a wire-receiving channel, a clamping member eccentrically pivotedon said body member and adapted to be rotated to clamp the wire firmlyin said channel, and an integral extension on said clamping memberadapted to be formed around the trolley wire after said clamping memberhas been rotated to its clamping position.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bodymember, a rotary clamp mounted on said body having means adapted to berotated into position with said clamp and then attached directly to thetrolley wire to lock said clamp.

8. In a device of the class described, a body member having a relativelydeep wirereceiving channel open at its top, a cam member pivoted on saidbody member and adapted to be rotated to a clamping position, and anintegral extension on, said cam formed for attachment directly to thetrolley wire after said cam has been rotated to its clamping positionand constituting an extension of said body member for taking up thewear.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body memberadapted to be positioned on the trolley wire and having a continuouschannel into which the trolley wire may be placed, a demountableextension adapted to be attached directly to the trolley wire adjacentthe end of said body member and having a cam portion pivoted on saidbody member for clamping the trolley wire in its channel.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body memberhaving an open-top, wire-receiving channel whereby it may be mounted inposition on the trolley wire without severing the continuity of thewire, rotary clamps mounted onv said body member and positioned adjacentthe ends thereof tor clamping the trolley wire against the bottom wallof the channel, extension Wear members on said clamps adapted, byrotation of the clamps to clamping position, to be alined with thetrolley wire and directly attached thereto, whereby to lock said clampsin position and to protect the body member from. the wear incident tothe travel of the trolley wheel.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body memberhaving an open-top, wire-receiving channel whereby it may be mounted inposition on the trolley wire without severing the continuity of thewire, rotary clamps mounted on said body member and positioned adjacentthe ends thereof: for clamping the trolley wire against the bottom wallof the channel, extension wear members on said clamps adapt ed, byrotation of the clamps to clamping position, to be alined with thetrolley wire for direct attachment thereto, whereby to lock said clampsin position and to protect the body member from the wear incident to thetravel of the trolley wheel, and demountable means intermediate the endsof said body member for clamping said device to the wire.

12. In a device of the class described, a body plate having an open-topchannel. into which the wire may be laid, a. cam member removablypivoted to said body member for clamping the trolley wire in the bottomof its channel, and a locking member carried. by said cam and rotatabletherewith into direct engagement with the trolley wire whereby it may beattached thereto and lock said cam against rotation.

13. In a device of the class described, a body member having awire-receiving channel upon the end portion of the bottom wall on whichthe trolley wire rests, said bottom wall having a depressed portionremoved from the end of the channel, in combination with a rotary clampremovably mounted on said body above said depressed portion and adaptedto bear upon and slightly spring th wire into said depressed portion,whereby the wire will be firmly'clamped against the end portion of thebottom wall, and a wear.

extension on said clamp projecting beyond the end of the body andadapted to be directly attached to the trolley wire after the clamp hasbeen rotated to clamping position.

14. In a strain plate of the class described, a body plate having anopen-top channel into which the wire may be laid, a cam member removablypivoted to said body member for clamping the trolley wire in the bottomof its channel, and a locking member carried by said cam and rotatabletherewith into direct engagement with the trolley wire whereby it may beattached thereto and lock said cam against rotation, a removable clampmember on said body member operable in conjunction with said cam memberto prevent the relative longitudinal movement of said strain plate andtrolley wire, and fastenings on said strain plate whereto guy wires maybe attached.

15. An improved strain plate or similar device, comprising a body memberhaving a relatively thin, bottom-walled channel open at its top throughwhich the trolley wire passes, and means for clamping said body memberin position on the trolley wire, comprising rotary cams detachablymounted adjacent the side of said channel and adapted to press the wirein firm contact with the bottom wall of the channel whereby said bottomwall will form practically a continuation of the trolley wire, and meansattachable to the trolley wire adjacent the ends of said channel forlocking said cams in their clamping position.

I claim 1. In a trolley wire apparatus, the combination with a clampingplate having eyes at the end adapting it to be independently supportedby means thereof transversely of and above a trolley wire, a body memberwith a wirereceiving groove adapted to be positioned below a trolleywire, and means for'securing the plate and member together withoutrotation of either part and for clamping a trolley wire between them.

2. In a trolley wire apparatus, the combination with a clamping platehaving eyes at the end adapting it to be independently supported bymeans thereof transversely of and above a trolley wire with an integralCopies of this patent depending clamping portion, a body member with awire-receiving groove and a particular portion thereof adapted tocooperate with the said clamping portion of the plate below a trolleywire, and clamping bolts for securing the plate and member togetherwithout rotation thereof and for clamping a trolley wire between thesaid cooperating parts.

3. In a trolley wire apparatus, the combination with a clamping platehaving eyes at the ends adapting it to be independently supportedtransversely of and above a trolley wire and with a depending clampingportion, a body member comprising a strain plate with a longitudinalgroove therein and a portion cooperating with the said dependingclamping portion of the other plate adapted to be placed below a trolleywire and having guy wire holes at the corners of the plate by means ofwhich the said body member is independently supported below a trolleywire and prevented thereby from longitudinal movement with respect to atrolley wire, and fastening means to bind the said body member and theclamping plate together below and above the trolley wire respectively,and to grip the trolley wire between the said cooperating clampingportions.

4. In a trolley wire apparatus, the combination with a rectangularstrain plate having guy wire holes at the corners and a longitudinallyextending groove with upstanding ears forming a trolley cross-over onits lower side, a cam member pivotally mounted in the ears at each endof the groove having an extending grooved arm adapted to embrace a wireseated in the groove from the upper side of the wire and forming agradual approach for the said cross-over, a clamping plate bridging thegroove between the ears extending transversely of the trolley wire andabove the trolley wire with guy wire apertures at its ends by means ofwhich it is independently supported above the trolley wire and with adepending portion insertible in the grooveof the strain plate, and boltsfor clamping the strain plate and the clamping plate whereby saidclamping portion will engage and bind the wire in the groove.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 27th day of March A. D.1912.

GEORGE BUTTRICK.

NATHAN SHUTE.

Washington, .1). C,

